Out on a limb

STOCKTON - The number and health of trees on Stockton's streets and parks - what's called the city's urban forest - for years has been a matter of guesswork.

Scott Smith

STOCKTON - The number and health of trees on Stockton's streets and parks - what's called the city's urban forest - for years has been a matter of guesswork.

That is changing.

The city has undertaken an inventory project, noting each tree's type and age as well as how it's faring. By the end of March, the city expects to have a complete database. Armed with that information, officials say they will better be able to budget for maintenance as the city itself becomes financially healthy.

The city's trees are part of Stockton's recovery plan.

"We don't really know how many we have, and we don't know what condition they're in," said Gordon MacKay, acting director of the city's Department of Public Works. "That's a critical piece of the puzzle."

The city one year ago launched the task. To do the work, the city contracted with Davey Resource Group, Inc., a tree care firm. A team of Davey's arborists - with their hard hats, bright vests, clipboards and tape measures - is working its way through Stockton's neighborhoods.

Right now, city officials estimate 111,000 trees in Stockton. It costs $3.20 to give each tree a checkup.

Stockton obtained a $200,000 grant from the state's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and the city is contributing an additional $155,000 from its general fund and gas tax income.

The work will also serve to alert city officials to potential hazards and harm to homes and residents alike. Large, dead trees can be removed before they cause damage, city officials said.

Yet, Stockton's poor financial state also means that right now, residents can't depend on the city to care for the routine maintenance of each tree, MacKay said. That's why city officials in recent years revised the tree ordinance, giving residents the right to do routine maintenance on city trees standing within seven feet of the sidewalk.

Residents can prune mistletoe out of their trees without a permit from City Hall. It is still not acceptable to remove city trees or prune them to death, MacKay said.

"We encourage people to look after their street trees," he said. "Right now, the city's really not in the situation to do that."